Current Diversity Programs : Aicpa Initiatives Committee ( Mic ) Essay

Institutions welcome diversity, however, they also introduce minorities to a profession of glass ceilings. The number one reason I often see firms and institutions push diversity is for monetary value. Although this may be true, for me, this reasoning of including diversity in the legal system can be flawed and quite off base. It is time to establish real value in minorities and people of diverse ethnic backgrounds. That value requires adequate representation. Having assorted groups of excelling attorneys in the legal profession creates an accurate depiction of recognizing and addressing pressing issues.When minorities thrive in the legal profession it is an adequate reflection of reality, especially in the community and the people attorneys serve. Attorneys play a number of roles, often times, changing the life of their clients, Therefore, it is up to the legal profession to embrace excellence of all backgrounds to better serve the legal community. Diversity in the legal system includes, but is not limited to, race and ethnicity, gender, cultural backgrounds, sexual orientation, and disability. Inclusion and diversity in the legal system are a reflective representation of attorneys by bringing people from all backgrounds and all different experiences to make the legal profession more efficient and

In my opinion a successful student doctor should have organizational skills, be able to cope with the rigor and pace of instructing materials, most of all developed critical thinking during their time attending a medical program. I believe that the Doctoral Diversity Program at John Hopkins Medical School will help me strengthen those areas before the start of my medical education. The Diversity Program provides research opportunities, Community health care exposure, professional training and personal growth through mentorship. The Doctoral Diversity Program I believe will help me stay on a current pace for medical school, which will help me be a competitive applicant. I hope to gain a head start on the level of critical thinking that medicine

According to statistics, affirmative action programs have fueled the fire behind the income, promotion, and labor force participation of women and minorities. For example in 2001, Minority owned businesses were growing at a rate of 17% per year, that is six times the growth rate of all firms nationwide; Women owned businesses totaled 9.1 million, generated $3.6 trillion in sales and employed 27.5 million workers (Minority Business Challenge, 2002).

I believe that diversity training and assessment programs, while different, are interrelated. A training program will not be successful, if a needs assessment is not completed beforehand and an efficacy/outcome assessment completed afterwards. Before a diversity training program can be implemented, an organization must understand the current status of their workforce (isolate issues they are facing, behaviors they wish to change, the culture of the organization, etc.) and then identify where they want their workforce to be (Rouda & Kusy, 1995)-what kind of workforce/culture/climate they want to have. Once an organization has established two ends of this spectrum, they must then develop a training plan to move their workforce from A to B (Rouda

Lehigh University is a fascinating school. Originally I just wanted to attend the Senior Open House event because I am interested in applying. Then I received an email notifying me about the diversity program. It sounded like an even greater opportunity to learn about the school. This program included the open house, staying overnight and spending the next day at Lehigh. That amount of time at a school can show you so much more than a couple hours can. This program drew me in as I continued to read the information about it. It seemed as if a better opportunity could not come along and I needed to apply. The diversity program will give me a chance to really meet the students. No school is made up of the same types of people. Meeting these college students and hearing their opinions about Lehigh will have an effect on my point

I believe that being able to step up to the plate whenever a faculty member needs an extra hand, or if someone happens to not be able to make an event last minute, being able to be there to fulfill that role with no problem, contributes to my uniqueness. A quality like this is important because it shows responsibility, accountability, and dependability. In the interest of being apart of an active program, where students are involved in their neighborhood communities and school community, organization along with such attributes are necessary. The ability able to plan events or trips, such as in the Minority Scholars Program is very important. As a person I remain energized by challenges, meaning when approached with a challenge or obstacle,

In the past women and minorities have dealt with several obstacles that have prevented them from climbing the corporate ladder. According to Sanchez-Hucles and Davis (2010), women and minorities have experienced discrimination and biases that have been detrimental to them achieving and performing in leadership roles. Fortunately, the “glass ceiling” that has been suppressing so many women and minorities from suceeding in the workforce has finally been cracked. Now, according to The Department For Professional Employees (2014), “there are almost 67 million working women in the U.S.”, and according to Burns, Barton, and Kerby (2012), “people of color made up 36 percent of the labor force”. Although they’ve made great strives in the workforce, they continue to face several obstacles as leaders.

The term "Affirmative Action" originated in the United States and first referenced when President John F. Kennedy signed Executive Order 10925 on March 6, 1961 (Infoplease 2000-2007). The term was used in the Order to mandate federal employers to take affirmative action to ensure employment practices are free from racial discrimination against minority groups. Executive Order 10925 increased diversity between minorities and whites but was not enforced until four years later under Executive Order 11246, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. This act has since been expanded several times to prohibit discrimination and influenced implementation of other acts, such as The

Affirmative action and diversity are two sides of the same coin, different but similar. The former can be described as when “leadership commits the organization to hiring and advancing minorities and women” whereas the latter is when “leadership creates an organizational culture that allows all members, minorities and women included, to reach their full potential” (Schermerhorn, 2012, p. 305). Affirmative action is the law in the United States, whereas diversity and diversity management are concepts that modern workplaces have adopted to continue the idea of affirmative action in all aspects of business, not just in recruiting and hiring. Affirmative action laws are designed to correct discriminatory hiring practices from the past, intended “for the organizational workforce to reflect the percentage of targeted groups represented in the segments of the labor force from which it recruits workers" (Combs, 2005, p. 346). Diversity management, by contrast, is intended to maintain a diverse workforce from recruiting, to hire, through promotional opportunities; essentially, for the full life cycle of the employee.

The Federal Aviation Administration is the governing force of Aviation, dealing with all aspects of safety, innovation and aviation related regulations. They proudly advertise on their employment opportunity site by saying “our inclusive culture is defined by our values and we continuously seek employees from all backgrounds with distinctive ideas, perspectives….and talents” [4]. There are numerous employee programs designed for minority groups such as FAA GLOBE- Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual Employees, NBCFAE- National Black Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees with Disabilities and PWC- Professional Women Controllers. They strive to provide the resources necessary for the minority groups to facilitate their career

For some organizations diversity training is limited to informative programs, providing networking avenues and sensitivity training. While some organizations wholly embrace incorporating diversity as paving the road for the organizations future success. The Bureau of Labor Statistics report dated August 2014 states that for 2013 out of the total employed in the category of Accountants and Auditors 77.8% White, 8.6% Black / African American, 11.9% Asian and 7.3% Hispanic. These numbers far from represent the face of clients accounting professionals are currently managing. Corporate diversity programs are visible to employees and easily accessible. Corporate efforts and accomplishments in strategic planning and implementation of programs are publicly celebrated. Yet labor statistics demonstrate recruiting and maintaining talented diverse employees in the profession of accounting is a current and ongoing challenge. Based on a 2013 survey diversity in accounting is lagging with only about 25% of ethnically diverse employees in the accounting profession. (Supply and Demand for Accounting Talent at Record Levels., 2013). Public accounting firms, private industry and associations such as American Institute of CPA’s, National association of Black Accountants, Association of

     Affirmative action has helped the income, promotion and labor force participation rates of both women and minorities. For example, between 1982 and 1995, the percentage of female managers and professionals in the U.S. rose from 40.5 to 48.0 percent; blacks from 5.5 to 7.5 percent, and Hispanics from 5.2 to 7.6 percent. By comparison, these groups form 51.2 percent, 12.6 percent, and 10.2 percent of the population, respectively. Progress has been steady, but still incomplete.

As we shift, focusing on gender equity in the business community a quote from antiracist, educator, and author Tim Wise,“we (referring to white man) have to take some responsibility for the unearned advantage, which mean working to change the society which bestow the advantage” (Wise, 2013). Through an evaluation of a catalyst study, only 12 women in the United States have been inaugurated to the corporate boardroom. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) stated, “women are the most underutilized economic asset in the world’s economy” (Ledbetter, 2014). Perhaps, the process for a gender equality movement is slowly moving.

Although I dislike legislation such as affirmative action, “an artificial intervention aimed at giving management a chance to correct an imbalance, an injustice, a mistake, or outright discrimination that occurred in the past”, because it is not totally based on merit but to achieve a quota to appease minorities for being treated unfairly, but I do think it is needed (Kreitner et al., 2013, p. 36). Even on a small level, it forces diversity to happen. Without it, lack of diversity would be a bigger issue. A true representation of diversity will never exist because of flawed systems run by flawed humans with prejudices. Realistically, as long as racism exist, diversity will never truly flourish.

Not sure, why we don’t have one. Personally, I believe that all organizations would benefit from a diversity awareness program. At the hospital we provide care for severally mentally ill kids. In short, a few years ago, our company accepted a contract with the FED’s. This contract allows us to house up to 21 illegal youth immigrants. Many of the kids, had escaped their country, were on the run and were captured by immigration or other officials. We had no training. There was already a huge communication barrier. But many of the staff had no clue how to interact with these new patients. The contract included its own staff of case managers and therapist (Spanish speakers). However, there was no dialogue with the day to-day staff that had to work